Operator-instruction circuits



May 27, 1924. 1,495,585

C. B. FOWLER OPERATOR INSTRUCTION CIRCUITS Filed Dec. 31, 1919 L I "lAAAAA lriveflror: l W Clarence fifbwle/t k} W e 0473 Patented May 27,1924.

entree stares 1,495,585 FATENT @FFHQE.

CLARENCE B. EOWLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNO'R TO WESTERN ELECTRICCOM- IPANY INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OPERATOR-INSTRUCTION CIRCUITS.

Application filed December31, 1919. Serial No. 348,577.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE B. FOWLER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Operator-InstructionCircuits, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to a telephone exchange system and moreparticularly to an arrangement of circuits for instructing operators inthe method of extending calls from a manual oflice to an olfice orexchange provided with mechanical switching equipment.

The object of the invention is the provision of circuits and apparatusfor instructing operators in the extension of calls to ollices havingmechanical equipment and in thepractice of correctly dialing the numbersof subscribers in such oflices.

One feature of the invention resides in the provision of means forindicating to an instructing operator the character of each digit dialedby a pupil operator in accordance with instructions given the latter bythe instructor.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a groupof special trunk circuits and apparatus arranged to simulate interofiicetrunks for the instruction of opperators in making the group busy testof interoffice trunks. For a complete disclosure of the inventionreference should be made to the following description considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing illustrating one specificembodiment of the genus of the invention.

The drawing discloses one cord circuit of an operators position 0equipped with an impulse-sending device of the dial type by means ofwhich calls may be extended to an office provided with mechanicalswitching equipment; the first and last trunks of the group of trunksextending to an instructing operators positlon together with apparatus.

associated therewith; and an indicating device at the instructingoperators position for indicating to the instructor the digits dialed bythe operator in accordance with her instructions. 1

A more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be had from aconsideration of the organization of the circuits and the manner inwhich they are employed. It

will be assumed that an instructing operator whose cord circuit ispartially disclosed at O is assigned to instruct a new operator who isprovided with standard dialing cord circuits'such as disclosed at O, inthe method outgoing ends interof'tice trunks such as would be employedbetween a manual and an automatic office. Each trunk is provided withmultiple calling jacks appearing at a plurality of operators positionsand with multiple jacks at a plurality of instruct'ors positions.

If when testing the first trunk circuit T of the group all of the trunkcircuits are busy and consequently the sleeve relays of all trunks ofthe group are energized, the operator receives a group busy tone over acircuit extending from ground, through the secondary winding of the busytone coil 2 through the outer armature and front contact of the sleeverelay 3 of the last trunk of the group, thence serially through theouter armatures and front contacts of the sleeve relays of the remainingtrunks ofthe group to the sleeve 4 of jack J of the first trunks of, thegroup and thence through the tip of the plug, the back contact andarmature of the cord sleeve relay 5 and to the test winding (not shown)of the operator's set. The operator, upon receiving the tone, isappraised of the fact that all trunks of the group are busy.

If there is an idle trunk in the group the operator does not receive thetone test since the tone circuit is open at the contacts of the sleeverelays 3 of all idle trunks. In the event that the first trunk T of thegroup is busy by reason of a connection thereto of another cord circuitsimilar to the cord circuit O, the operator will find the usual busypotential on the sleeve of the multiple jack and will receive a clickinher receiver when she tests the multiple jack with the tip of thethekey 13 is thrown, a circuit is established calling plug. click she willthen proceed to test the trunks in order until an idle trunk is found,when she will proceed to establish a connection therewith by insertingthe calling plug of the cord circuit 0 into the jack of the idle trunk.

It will be assumed that connection is thus established with the lasttrunk T of the group. The insertion of plug P in the jack J of thistrunk establishes a circuit for the sleeve relay 3 of the trunk whichmay be traced from grounded battery, through the calling supervisorylamp 6, sleeve relay 5 of the cord circuit, the sleeve of plug P andjack J and thence to ground through the sleeve relay Relays 5 and 3 areenergized in this circuit, relay 5 disconnecting the tip of the plugfrom the testing lead 7 and connecting it to the tip strand of the cordcircuit, and relay 3 establishing a circuit for the trunk signals 8appearing before a pinrality of instructing operators positions Theinstructing operator, who at the time hasbeen assigned for instructingthe new operator, upon noting the operation of trunk signal 8, plugs theanswering plug oi her cord circuit 0 into the answering jack of thetrunk circuit indicated by the operated' signal 8, and by means ctlisteniiur key 9, connects her telephone set to the trunk circuit fortransmitting instructions over the selected trunk circuit to the0])9ltt't0'l'. The connection of cord circuit 0 to the trunk T causesthe energiaation ot the calling supervisory relay 11 in the cord circuit0, over the circuit extending from grounded battery at cord circuit 0,through the winding of relay 1.1, lower normal contacts of ringing key12, and dialing key 15*, ring contacts of plug 1 and jack J lowerconductor of trunlq T thence by the crossover conductor 14 to the upperconductor of the trunk, tl'irough the tip contacts oi the jack and plugat the instructing ru ierator's position to ground the trunk conductorsbeing reversed as at to cause the cord cir cuit batteries to beconnected in series for the purpose of permitting supervision in thecord circuits. he energization of relay 1i causes the shunting out oilump (3 in flu usual manner to signal the o ierator that the connectionhas been cut through.

The operator thereupon throws listening: key 1:3 to connect her (notshown) to the cord circuit 0 and receives instrucliom for dialing l romthe instructor over the trunk circuit. It will be assumed, for thepurpose of illustration. that the operator re ceives instructions todial the number 25. She thereupon throws the dialing trey 13 forconnecting the sender tv to the tip and ring contacts of the plug l andproceeds to set the dial for the first digit 2. is soon as Uponreceiving the busy,

for the line relay 16 of the indicating device D associated with theinstructing operators position, which circuit may be traced fromgrounded battery, through the winding of relay 16, over conductor 17,through cont-acts 18 of the dialing key 13 and thence to ground throughthe impulse contacts 19 of the sender S. Relay 1.6, upon energizing,establishes a circuit extending from its armature and tront contact andthrough the winding of slow to release relay 20. may 20, uponenergizing, establishes a circuit for the second slow-to-release relay21, which may he traced from grounded battery, through the armature andtrout contact of relay 20, the winding of relay 21 and thence to groundthrough the back contact and armature cl relay 22. The circuits of theindicator are now prepared. for the reception oi the first series ofimpulses corresponding to the first digit dialed by the operator.

Upon the release of the dial of sender the dial returns to normal and inthe usual manner causes two interruptions oi the impulse contacts 19.Upon the first interruption f these contacts, the circuit above tracedtor the l ne relay 16 is opened and the line relay momentarilydeenergiaes closing at its armature and back contact a circuit extendingfrom grounded liia'ttery. 't-lirough the arn'iature and back contact ofthe upper counting relay #1, through the wind ing of the lower countingrelay #1 and thence to ground at the front contact and armature ot'relay 21. The #1 counting relay,

upon energizing, prepares a locking circuit for itself extending fromground at the armature and contact o'l relay 21 through the winding ofrelay #1, its upper armature and front contact and the winding of the #1counting relay to grounded battery. The #1 counting relay, however. doesnot energize at this time since its winding is shunted by batteryconnected through the armature and back contact o'l line relay ill"). Assoon, however, as the circuit over conductor 17 is reestablishedFollowing the first interruption of the circuit at impulse contacts 19of the sender Pi, relay it; reenergizes, disconnecting ljiatlery a itsarmature aud back contact from one terminal of the winding oi the #1counting relay, whereupon the counting relay energizes, opening at itsarmature and back con tact the circuit over which the #1 counting relaywas energized and extending the initial energizing circuit through thearmature and back contact of the #2 counting relay, through the windingof the #2 counting relay to ground at the armature and front contact ofrelay 21. Counting relay #1 also closes at this time a circuit extendingfrom ground, through the lamp CAD 26, the lowermost armature and frontcontact of relay #1. the lower armatures and back contacts of thecounting relays #2 and 0, through the winding of slow-toenergize relay23, to battery at the armature of relay 16, but as there is but a shortin-- terval between impulses, counting relay #2 energizes on the nextimpulse before lamp 26 or relay 23 have time to operate. Upon the secondinterruption of the circuit over conductor 17, the #2 counting relayenergizes, locking up through the winding of the #2 counting relay aspreviously described in connection with the #1 and #1 counting relays.

Following the second interruption of the stepping circuit, relay 16again energizes and since the dial has now returned to its normalposition, relay 16 is maintained energized for an appreciable time oruntil the operator has set the dial for the second diglt. During thisinterval a circuit is established for the slow-to-energize relay 23,which may be traced from grounded battery, through the armature andfront contact of relay 16, through the winding of relay 23, through thelower armatures and back 'contacts of the lower counting relays #3 to #0inelusive, the lower armature and front contact of the #2 counting relayand through the indicating lamp 2 1 to ground. Since this circuit ismaintained for a sufficient interval for the relay 23 to energize, thelamp 24 is lighted sufiiciently to give the instructor a signal that theoperator has dialed the digit 2-. Upon the ener ization of relay 23, acircuit is established for the slow relay 22 which may be traced fromgrounded battery, through the armature and front contact of relay 16,winding of relay 22 and thence to ground at the armature and frontcontact of relay 23. Relay 22, upon energizing, opens the circuit forrelay 21 which, after an interval, deenergizes, opening at its armatureand front contact the locking circuits for counting relays #1, #1, #2and #2, which thereupon deenergize, restoring the circuits of theindicator to normal position.

In the same manner the operator dials the second digit 55, causing thecounting relays #1, #2, #3, #4 and to be energized and locked up in acircuit extending through the armature and front contact of relay 21and, following the series of five impulses, the lamp 25 becomes lightedin series with the relay 23 to indicate to the in structor that theoperator has dialed the digit 5 in accordance with her instructions. Theenergization of relay 23 again causes the energization of relay 22 andthereby, the restoration of the energized counting relays to theirnormal position.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the indicator D issuccessively operated to indicate the several digits dialed by theoperator and thus indicates to the instructor whether the operator isfollowing the instructions given to her and thus affords an accuratecheck on the efliciency of the operator and the speed with which shecarries out the instructions given to her.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, an operators position, an instructorsposition, means for establishing an instruction circuit between saidpositions, -means for transmitting dialing instructions from saidinstructors p0- sit-ion to said operators position, an impulse sender atsaid operators position, an indicating device at said instructorsposition and means for operating said device in accordance with theoperation of said impulse sender.

2. In a telephone system, an operators position, an instructorsposition, means for establishing an instruction circuit between saidpositions, means for transmitting dialing instructions from saidinstructors position to said operators position, a dialing device atsaid operators position, an indicating device at said instructorsposition and means for successively operating said indicating device inaccordance with successive operations of said dialing device;

3. In a telephone system, an operators position, an instructorsposition, means for establishing an instruction circuit between saidpositions, means for transmitting dialing instructions from saidinstructors position to said operators position, a dial-ing device atsaid operators position, an indi cating device at said instructorsposition and means for enabling successive operations of said indicatingdevice in accordance with successive operations of said dialing deviceover a circuit independent of said instruction circuit for indicatingthe several digits of a line designation assigned by said instructor.

4%. In a telephone system, an operators position, an instructorsposition, means for establishing an instruction circuit between saidpositions, a dialing device at said operators position, an indicatingdevice at said instructors position comprising a plurality 01 indicatinlamps and counting relays, and means for successively operating saidrelays to selectively light said lamps in accordance with the setting ofsaid dialing device over a circuit independent of said instructioncircuit.

5. In a telephone system, an operators position, a cord circuit thereat,an instructors position, means including said cord circuit forestablishing an instruction circuit between said positions, a dialingdevice at said operators position, a key for associating said devicewith said cord circuit, an indicating device at said instructor-sposition, and means for operating said inuicating device in accordanceWith the setting of said dialing device over a circuit independent ofsaid instruction circuit and extending-1 through contacts ot'said key.

6. In a telephone system, an operators position, a cord circuit thereat,an instructors position, means including; said cord circuit forestablishing an instruction circuit between said positions, a dialingdevice at said operators position, a key for associating said devicewith said cord circuit, an indi'atingdevice at said instructorsposition, and means for operating said indicating device in accordancewith the setting of said dialing, device over a circuit extent: ingthrough contacts o'l said key and through the impulse contacts of saiddiat inc device.

7-. In a telephone systenr an operators position, an. instructofisposition. means for establishingan instruction circuit between saidpositions, a dialing device at said operators position, an indicating;device at said instructofis position adapted to he operated in acordance With impulses trans mitted by said dialing; device, comprisingan impulse relay, a train of counting; relays adapted to be energized insuccession in response to the operation of said impulse relay and lockedin their operated positions, a group of lamps adapted to be selectivelyoperated by said counting relays, and means eflective upon thetermination of said ini-- pulses for unlocking said. counting relays iFor illuminating the lamp selected by "he last energized relay of thetrain.

8. in a telephone exchange system, an operator s -iosition, a group oftrunk circuits thereat, a sleeve relay associated with each trunkcircuit, a tone circuit extending "from the sleeve terminal of the firsttrui circuit. of the group serially through alternate contacts of all olsaid relays, and a source 0; tone current for connection to saidcircuit. v

9 in a telephone s toin. an operatofis position, an instructc cposition, a group oi trunk circuits extending: between said pr itions, asleeve relay associated with each trunk circuit a l uit extending fromthe sleeve terthe rst t unk circuit of tln rgroup touc circ m J! muralO! serially througs h alternate contacts oi all ot said relays, and asource oi tone current for connection to said. circuit.

10, In a telephone system, an operators position, an instructofisposition, a group ot' trunk circuits extending between said positions, asleeve re ay associated with each trui'il: circuit at said oi ier-atofisposition. a trunk signal under the control of each relay at theinstructofis position, a tone circuit extending? from the sleeveterminal oi the first trunk circuit of the group serially throughalternate contacts of all of said relays. and a source of tone currentfor connection to said circuit.

in witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe in name this 30th day ofDecember, A. D,

(lira RENCE B. FOWLER

